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I use one of TA's forums quite a bit, and see many instances of zapped posts/closed topics. Some of my own have been targeted, and rightly so.
Trip Advisor is a TRAVEL site. It's function is to allow users to discuss various aspects of traveling from one destination to another. What it is not, is a place for everyone to air every little grievance, make inflamatory posts or howl at the moon.
The Mazatlan forum is rife with people posting about safety in Mazatlan. I quite believe that there are a few people who use different user id's to start these topics, knowing the response they'll get and knowing that eventaully TA will close the discussion. The violence in Mazatlan is primarily between the drug cartels and impacts the tourism trade so slightly that it shouldn't be more of a concern than violence in any other city. Yet people will rant and rave about the regular posters and Destination Experts (who do not zap posts/topics - only TA does that) who don't rush to tell everyone about every little crime that's happened. Recently one of the cruise line employees even admitted that they stopped visiting Mexican ports because of financial concerns, not crime. If a traveller really wanted to know about the U.S. travel advisory, there is a prominant link on the Mazatlan forum for them to click.
The point is that this site is owned and operated by TA. They have every right to direct its content if they so desire (remember those signs 'we reserve the right to refuse service'?). If you want a forum where you can say anything without censorship you have the freedom to create one of your own! THAT'S freedom of speech.
Trip Advisor is a TRAVEL site. It's function is to allow users to discuss various aspects of traveling from one destination to another. What it is not, is a place for everyone to air every little grievance, make inflamatory posts or howl at the moon.
The Mazatlan forum is rife with people posting about safety in Mazatlan. I quite believe that there are a few people who use different user id's to start these topics, knowing the response they'll get and knowing that eventaully TA will close the discussion. The violence in Mazatlan is primarily between the drug cartels and impacts the tourism trade so slightly that it shouldn't be more of a concern than violence in any other city. Yet people will rant and rave about the regular posters and Destination Experts (who do not zap posts/topics - only TA does that) who don't rush to tell everyone about every little crime that's happened. Recently one of the cruise line employees even admitted that they stopped visiting Mexican ports because of financial concerns, not crime. If a traveller really wanted to know about the U.S. travel advisory, there is a prominant link on the Mazatlan forum for them to click.
The point is that this site is owned and operated by TA. They have every right to direct its content if they so desire (remember those signs 'we reserve the right to refuse service'?). If you want a forum where you can say anything without censorship you have the freedom to create one of your own! THAT'S freedom of speech.
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